Life's journey can be difficult enough to navigate even under optimal circumstances. There are bills to be paid, hours to log at work and in-laws to deal with. Yet, most of these obstacles are likely to fade into the background in the event of a disaster like a hurricane, earthquake or zombie apocalypse.

As unlikely as it may sound, survival scenarios can and do happen, whether it's a hidden sink hole suddenly gobbling up a suburban home or a tornado blowing an entire town off the map. Fine, maybe there's no proof that zombies are immediately threatening our way of life, despite how real these brainless creatures are made to look on TV. One can never be too safe, however, and it's important to be prepared.

Fortunately, you already have many of the things that can help you ride out a storm, flood or influx of the walking dead. Click ahead to see what those items are, as well as some surprising ways to use them.